Hardwired for Style

Article
Jan 1, 2004

Hardwired for Style

Decorative flights of fancy and innovative soft-closing
mechanisms power the decorative and functional hardware
markets.

By Daina Manning

It's long been said that cabinet hardware is the jewelry of the
kitchen the perfect way to dress up a beautiful design and give it
a bit of extra flair. And just as fashionistas nationwide are
scurrying to dig up 1940s and '50s brooches to pin on their suits,
cabinet hardware is also driven by up-to-the-minute trends. Some
may be gone in a few years, but who cares because how hard is it to
buy a new set of knobs? The ease of changing out decorative
hardware is part of what makes it so much fun and such a favorite
decorative upgrade among today's fashion-conscious consumers.

Functional hardware, on the other hand, tends to be a bigger
investment, and a much more central part of making the kitchen
accessible and convenient to use. There, major lifestyle trends
such as a new generation of hip baby boomers who insist on an
active, independent and stylish lifestyle well into old age prompt
important innovations, according to the manufacturers recently
surveyed by Kitchen & Bath Design News.

Going to ExtremesWhat's the trend of the
moment? "I see a very utilitarian look getting stronger," declares
Adrienne Morea, president and designer at Atlas Homewares, in
Glendale, CA. "Square Euro-modern hardware [is] making a strong
statement. It's loft but one step further than loft. [It's more
like] file cabinet meets gymnasium locker. Square recessed bin
pulls, lots of top drawer mount minimalism, the smallest little lip
that you can pull a cabinet out with. It's all very reminiscent of
Bauhaus design, where you mix art and technology," she notes.

Today's stylish hardware is also likely to be an extreme size
"Either 'mega' or 'mini'," Morea believes. The XXL pick is likely
to be a plain horizontal bar that works best with minimalist
contemporary designs and a plain slab door, she elaborates. The
European-inspired, highly lacquered door in bright colors, with
metal legs, is a particularly striking version. Its accompanying
hardware is usually brushed nickel, polished chrome or dull satin
chrome.

Marcia Schaub, hardware specialist at Schaub & Co., in Grand
Rapids, MI, points out that the emergence of large bar pulls has a
functional component as well for today's bigger and more elaborate
kitchens, with the trend towards drawers instead of base cabinets.
"You can't have a small pull on a big drawer [or a] tall door," she
notes.

Schaub adds that transitional looks, especially Arts &
Crafts, are still a popular pick for those who want a warm but
clean-lined look. Schaub's new line includes several knobs that
evoke Mission design's geometric shapes, including "a unique
pyramid knob with a flattened top, and one that looks similar [in
shape] to a Tiffany-style lamp," she notes.

Similarly, Bill Payne, sales manager for Avante Hardware, in
Chico, CA, cites his company's new iron line, which sports a
handmade Craftsman look. "We have some proprietary designs with
some rivets along with some banding," he adds. "We've seen that
trend for a couple of years, the old school handmade design."

In the more mainstream market, rustic Tuscany looks, which take
a more rugged and earthy, less grandiose take on Old World looks,
are still going strong, and favor oil-rubbed bronze hardware.

Morea emphasizes that the urban industrial look she refers to is
the next wave for people who are doing new installations, not
updates. "People aren't going to throw away their kitchen
cabinets," she says. "In most of the country, people are still into
Shaker cabinets, and Shabby Chic is completely in style. There's
always going to be that. It [conveys] such a warm feeling."

But, she notes a trend towards cleaner, less fussy and cluttered
design even in traditional looks. "Instead of cabinets having an
almost weather-worn finish, now they're upgraded a little bit to a
satin sheen, not completely distressed," she notes.

As for finishes, matte black iron seems to be this year's big
statement. The versatile finish works perfectly with antique looks,
manufacturers agree, where it takes on the ornate look of weathered
wrought iron, or with cutting-edge urban industrial designs, where
it might evoke the ceiling pipes of an industrial plant.

Oil-rubbed bronze remains popular and is moving into the
contemporary market as well. Patsy Nickum, owner of Rocky Mountain
Hardware, in Bailey, ID, notes that contemporary architecture often
uses raw bronze finishes that are meant to patina as they are
exposed to weather for the rugged industrial look of a vintage
factory building. And that look translates well to kitchen hardware
as well. "We're making a lot of simpler lines, not a lot of
detail," she notes. "Bronze has that organic texture to it. It's
the perfect medium for [that look]."

Those surveyed also agree that, unlike bathroom design, a
kitchen has more flexibility in mixing and matching finishes.
Rather than the old approach of mixing, say, shiny brass and shiny
chrome for a two-toned approach, however, the new mix stays in the
same color tones, but mixes shades and textures. For example, a
designer may choose to mix polished nickel with brushed stainless
steel, or copper paired with oil-rubbed bronze.

Nickum emphasizes that trendiness doesn't equal disposability
adding that, for the upscale market, quality is as important in a
knob as in anything else. She cites her company's time-honored
sandcasting methods for producing bronze hardware in a broad range
of architectural styles, from rustic Mediterranean to contemporary
urban loft. Unlike the faucet market, which seems to be embracing
PVD coatings instead of real living finish oil-rubbed bronze,
Nickum insists that hardware with a natural patina that mellows
with age continues to be a popular, classic look.

For the whimsical end of the marketplace, Morea sees knobs that
take their cues from spirited, slightly goofy Mid-Century Modern
designs such as George Nelson's classic starburst clocks, or
Jonathan Adler vases. Consumers with a sense of humor might also
appreciate knobs such as Elite's moose-head pulls.

Function FirstIn these performance-driven
times, a cabinet's innards are becoming as important as its overall
outward appearance. "The first trend was the look. Everyone loved
the beautiful wood cabinets that look like furniture. They're
gorgeous, and nobody was thinking about the actual function,"
recalls Dennis Poteat, marketing services for Blum Inc., in
Stanley, NC. "Now, we've got looks, quality of motion, and soft
closing."

The aim of more complex and sophisticated hardware is to provide
"functionality that will allow [consumers] to make better use of
their kitchens," says Phillip Martin, director of marketing for
Hafele America Co., in Archdale, NC. "People are staying home more
these days. They want more of these exciting features that are
being developed in the marketplace." And, for closing mechanisms,
soft closure is the big buzzword.

These systems work with either air pistons or hydraulics,
similar to a car brake, Martin explains. In Hafele's version,
"before it hits the cabinet, an air piston takes over the mechanism
[and] brings it slowly into the cabinet for a soft close,
automatically, gently and virtually soundlessly," he elaborates.
The mechanism can be installed on any pull-out, from pantry to
blind corner.

"Everything is soft closing," confirms Matthias Bulla, product
manager for Mepla-Alfit Inc., in Lexington, NC. His company has
just introduced an undermount slide, which has an integrated soft
close. "When you close the door hard, you slam it. The last two
inches, this little shock absorber takes the shock of the door [and
closes it] softly. We're using basically a hydraulic cylinder, same
as a shock absorber in a car."

Blum's soft closing system for drawers fits Tandem concealed
runners, reports Poteat. "[Instead of] being just a cushion, like
many systems, it actually takes control of the drawer two inches
before it closes, and pulls it closed slowly and holds it in place
[with a hydraulic mechanism]," he explains.

"It's all in an effort to go for a better quality of motion less
noise, less friction," Poteat adds. Another advantage of the soft
close is "little fingers not getting caught in the drawers," he
adds. "And the fact that they're concealed, it shows off the nice
wood sides of the drawers."
For cabinets, Blum's system presents a plunger that's filled with
non-toxic fluid together with a series of valves (as opposed to an
air-resistant piston) that offer resistance based on the force
applied. "Basically, the harder you slam the door, the more
resistance it gives. That also allows it to adjust automatically
for different size [and weight] doors," Poteat explains. This
allows the system to be useable for glass, aluminum or other
specialty doors.

For cabinet doors, Mepla-Alfit also features a system that
allows one to use a standard hinge and clip on a soft close device.
Additionally, a new base plate for hinges allows for three
dimensional adjustment.

As with decorative hardware, quality has improved for functional
hardware. Martin cites his company's new pull-outs, which add a
melamine bottom to a chrome structure. "They give you a solid
bottom, where you [can] store small items and they won't fall
through," he notes. A patented non-slip surface for the melamine
stops pots, pans and groceries from sliding during a rapid
pull-out.

Quality has also enabled the move toward large base drawers
instead of base cabinets. "Technology has improved, and the drawers
can be wider. They come with rack and pinion-type functionality, so
that when one end of the drawer is pulled, the other end
automatically comes with it [without sticking]," Martin explains.
"Homeown-ers see the advantage of keeping stored items like plates
and dishes [in convenient drawers] instead of reaching [for] them
over their heads and bringing them down."

All of these niceties boil down to one thing the perfectly
functioning kitchen that's uniquely tailored for the taste and
needs of the individual consumer. Individuality is, after all, the
most pervasive current trend of all. "People are looking to find
something a little bit different," concludes Schaub. "They don't
want what everyone else has." KBDN